History

The Jackson Jills, founded in 1963, were named after Cornelia Maria Jackson, who bequeathed funds to Tufts to help “remove the disabilities of women.”

In her name, Jackson College was founded in 1910 as a coordinate college to Tufts. An alternative to both womens’ colleges and fully coeducational schools, coordinate colleges provided women with a separate, and in theory equal, education at a womens’ college that existed in conjunction with a mens’ school.

Our history is extremely important to us because it reminds us of the strength we as women possess and of the great accomplishments we can achieve. This truth is deeply embedded in our “Jill mindset” and has set the tone for everything we do– from our audition week selection process to our onstage performances. Jills are strong-willed and hardworking women, and this is something we are enormously proud of.